Before The Battle
by Eljay101
Summary: Before the Reapers, the Collectors, even before Saren, Shepard and the crew of the Normandy SR1 meet. Drawn together by destiny, for the greater good of the galaxy. To defeat an even greater evil. Random updates. Does not follow canon.
1. Chapter 1

**Alan Shepard**

The ship gave another sickening lurch, throwing Commander Alan Shepard to the ground, "Status!" he shouted.

"Shields at 20%," Lieutenant Daniel Arêtes responded. The ship shook as another deafening crash echoed through the hull. "Scratch that, shields down, taking heavy damage," he paused and punched a few commands into his omni-tool. A terrified look crossed his face. "Ship controls not responding, we're going down! I repeat we're go-"Another blast rocked the ship, knocking the lieutenant back out of his seat, crashing his head into the wall and tossing it backwards at an impossible angle, breaking his neck. The ship shook as it entered the atmosphere of the unknown planet below.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship," shouted an unknown crewmember. The crew of the Allenby rushed to the escape pods.

"It's too late," said the Commander, "get the information off the ship, somewhere it will be found. This is too great a threat to be ignored."

"But…"

"Now soldier!"

"Yes sir."

**Rita Shepard**

_**Earth**_

"No! It can't be! They were just scouts! They were safe! " Ella Shepard cried at the Alliance official that stood across from her, "Why? Who?"

"I'm sorry ma'am," said the officer, his voice uncaring, "your husband's ship was found wrecked on the planet 276 Bout. No survivors. As for the culprit… That is still unknown. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Wait! What about my daughter? Her ship was in the area! The SSV Cortina!"

"Her ship discovered the wreck, ma'am." With that the official left Ella alone. She fell forward on her hands and knees, sobbing.

A voice from the doorway startled her, "Mom?"

"Rita? Rita! I am so sorry you're seeing me like this," Sobbed Ella.

Rita rushed over and enveloped her mother in a hug, murmuring "it's okay mom, we're gonna get through this. Together."

"But, honey, you must be taking this hard too. Are you okay?" That was her mother, always putting others before herself.

"I'm fine mom. What upsets me the most is that the Alliance isn't looking to find the cause of this," Rita responded. She had a certain look in her eye that meant she wanted to give them a piece of her mind, but knew better. "You should go to bed mom, I've got to finish up some business here before I leave for the Citadel."

"You're going to the Citadel? I didn't know that," Ella said.

"The officer didn't tell you? Those guys aren't dependable for anything," she muttered, "Anyway, get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

**Tacita Vakarian**

_**Palavan**_

"I am very sorry to tell you this Tacita, but you have Corpalis syndrome," said the Turian Doctor standing across from Tacita Vakarian.

"But… It's so rare it can't be… Tell me it's not…no," Tacita mumbled. The Doctor then left leaving the Tacita, her husband, Anoelis, and their daughter, Solana, to absorb the crushing news. "But, wait. Shouldn't Garrus be here? I thought he wanted to find out what was going on too." Tacita asked. She turned to look at Anoelis, a questioning look in her eyes.

"Remember, I told you that Garrus is still on the Citadel, with C-Sec," responded Anoelis calmly.

"But he's so young. Only seventeen," Tacita sounded bewildered.

"No, mom, he's twenty-two," said Sol gently, not quite understanding why her mother couldn't remember.

"Oh, time goes by quickly, doesn't it? I'm going to bed," then with a wave she left.

"Dad," Sol asked, "why did mom mess up Garrus' age?"

"Corpalis Syndrome causes neurological degeneration. She honestly couldn't remember," her father responded, his usually calm voice wavering, "she'll forget more and more until there is nothing left. Unless we stop it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya **

"Where are we," Admiral Rael'Zorah Vas Rayya asked the Captain of the ship, "And where is the rest of the Migrant Fleet?"

"I honestly have no idea," murmured the Captain, "one minute we're with the Fleet, the next, we're alone. I could've sworn… Keelah... We're at the Citadel!"

"What!" he asked, "How did we end up there?"

The Captain was about to reply when he was interrupted by a voice at the back of the cockpit. It was Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya, the Admiral's 18 year old daughter. "How did we end up where," she asked, crossing her arms. She hated it when her father didn't tell her things.

"It is none of your concern, Tali'Zorah," he said, without even thinking. It was his default response to his daughter.

Tali's temper flared, "Of course it's my concern," she shouted, her voice sounding distorted though her mask, "Why do you always say that?"

The Admiral's voice was unchanged when he responded, "You don't need to worry about it, Tali'Zorah. We're just," he paused, "…a bit off course"

"How far?"

"… The Citadel."

"The Citadel!? Keelah se'lai… You call that a _bit _off course?" she exclaimed, "Is the fleet docking?"

"We're alone," the Admiral said, his voice too even, "We lost the fleet."

Tali slowly turned to the Captain, "How did you lose the fleet, you incompetent bosh'tet!"

The Admiral could no longer contain his anger, "Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya, you never speak that way to your superiors! To your quarters!"

"But-"

"Now!"

"Yes, Father."

**Ashley Williams**

"Ashley Williams, you have a vidcom message from Captain Anderson," said someone over the intercom.

Ashley slowly made her way over to her computer and opened up the message with a sigh. It was probably just another lecture about how she could've done better on the last mission, yadda, yadda, yadda. "Hello, Captain," she said as his face appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Ashley." The fact that she and the Captain were on a first name basis was probably a bad thing.

"What do you need, sir."

"Just a moment of your time. And I think you're going to like this," he paused for increased suspense, " Due to your actions in The Battle of Mindoir, the Alliance has decided to promote you from Corporal to Gunnery Chief." He sounded genuinely happy for her.

Ashley was silent for a moment, the news sinking in. "Thank you so much sir," she said, a happy sob welling up in her throat, "you have no idea how much this means to me."

"No I do not, and I probably never will," Ashley saluted the Captain, "Dismissed, Gunnery Chief Williams." He smiled, then signed off.

Ashley turned and whispered 'Thank you' while looking at the ceiling.

**Liara T'Soni**

"Absolutely not!" fumed Matriarch Sephere, the Captain of the ship that a young Asari wanted passage on.

"Ma'am, I'm 95! You've taken me to plenty of other digs! How is this one any different?" exclaimed Liara T'Soni, Matriarch Benezia's daughter

"Do not question my orders!" the Matriarch countered, "I told you no and that's final!"

"But, Matriarch-"

"No buts. I'm not taking you." Sephere had a look that said 'don't mess with me' so Liara obliged.

"I'll show her," she muttered, "I don't need her to take me, I'll go by myself"


	3. Chapter 3

**Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya**

Tali crept along the corridors of the Rayya, praying to the ancestors that she wouldn't be caught. She needed to get off the ship onto the Citadel, just for long enough to calm down. Then she would re-board, without her father even knowing she had been gone. He and the captain were still in the cockpit, so that should be easy enough. She let out a sigh of relief as the airlock door opened with a hiss, and she stepped out.

Tali had never seen the Citadel before. She had heard the stories, but nothing could prepare her for this. The buildings seemed to touch the sky. And the people… Any species you could think of, all living together in harmony. It was amazing…

"It's beautiful," she whispered. That was when she heard the sneering coming from a group of Turians in the corner of the docking bay.

"Hey suit rat," one of them called. "Whatcha doing on the Citadel? Run out of planets to get chased off of?" All his friends snickered, except one. A gray-plated Turian with blue tattoos. He just sat there, his mandibles twitching apprehensively. "Hey, come on mask-face. We won't hurt you." He pulled a mock apologetic face and approached her. Tali turned and started to walk away from the docking bay when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She tried to shake it off, but it just latched on harder, digging into her shoulder and turning her to face the face of the Turian that was mocking her. His face was just inches from hers.

Suddenly the blue tattooed Turian spoke up, "Lantar, leave her alone. She didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes she did Garrus," said the first speaker, "She's Quarian. They made the Geth."

"That's not her fault," said the Turian that the other one had called Garrus. "She wasn't even alive then; don't blame her for things that happened 300 years ago."

"Fine, Mr. Goody Two Shoes C-Sec Officer. Just don't come crying to me when her species unleashes a new AI." With that, he and the Turians turned and left, leaving Garrus alone with Tali.

"Thank you so much," Tali said, turning to him, "I don't know what I would've done without you. I hate to think of what they might have done if you hadn't been there. You don't even know me."

"No problem," Garrus replied, "What's your name? I'll need it for my report."

"My name? Oh, my name, of course. Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya." Tali stammered, though she was a bit distracted. He had actually _helped_ her. _Her._ The _Quarian._ It made her feel sort of… tingly inside.

"Alright Tali," Garrus said, his voice all business, "Please come with me for a moment. I need you there when I submit the report, if you don't mind."

"I should really be getting back-"

"It will only take a moment."

"Uh… Alright," she said, resigned.

They walked to the elevator, Tali looking at the floor the whole way. She couldn't figure out this feeling.

_It's like someone has taken my insides and scrunched them up, so that there is an empty space where my heart was. I've never felt this before… What could it be?_

**Rita Shepard**

"This is the SSV Cortina, requesting permission to dock," said Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau.

"Permission granted. Proceed to docking bay D24," responded the Alliance operator.

"Affirmative," the Flight Lieutenant said, confirming he had heard her. "I hate those people; they sound like they're always plotting to kill you." Current CO of the Cortina, Rita Shepard was standing behind him, talking to him.

"Uh, Joker," she stated, using the Flight Lieutenant's nickname, "the com's still on."

"It is?" he groaned, "Sorry operator."

"She's not going to respond."

"Why?"

"She doesn't care."

"Whatever," he said, turning off the com, "I need to focus. The Citadel docking bays are a maze" He turned away and resumed punching controls on the dash.

"Ha. You never pay attention to your work when I tell you to, Mr. I'm the best pilot in the _entire_ galaxy." Rita countered.

"What, it's true." Joker stated, feigning offence.

"Yeah, it is," Rita said, catching Joker completely off guard. She never said that… EVER. "I'll be in my quarters if anyone needs me."

"Whatever you say commander."


	4. Chapter 4

**Liara T'Soni**

Matriarch Benezia was sitting at a table, staring blankly at the wall across from her when her Liara found her.

"Uh, Mother," she said, startling the Matriarch out of her reverie, "could you do me a little favour?"

"It depends, Liara," Benezia replied evenly, "on what the favour is."

"I need you to take me to Mars, in the Sol system," Liara was petrified that her mother would say no, so she spoke slowly, selecting her words carefully.

Benezia was very surprised. Her daughter seemed so ashamed to ask such a small thing of her. Liara knew that her mother would do anything for her. "Why? Wait, don't tell me… you need me to take you to a dig there. But why didn't you just ask Matriarch Sephere? She takes you to all your digs; how is this any different?" Liara wasn't surprised at how quickly her mother figured out what she wanted. That was always what she had asked for. Could she go to this dig, buy her this tool she couldn't afford, etc. It never changed, but Liara couldn't tell her mother that the other Matriarch had forbidden her from boarding the ship because Liara had been talking about her behind her back. Benezia would disown her for saying bad things about Sephere.

"Umm… Her ship is being repaired, and I need to be there in 6 days." Liara said, hoping her mother couldn't detect the uncertainty behind her words.

"Of course. I'll take you to your dig." If Benezia noticed anything, she didn't show it. "Mars, right? How about tomorrow, do you think you could do that?"

"Of course, mother! Thank you so much!" Liara ran up and gave her mother a hug.

"It's not a problem, honey. I'd do anything for you." Liara smiled at that. She knew, and she would do anything for her mother too.

**Ashley Williams**

"So, what did the Captain have to say to you, Ash?" asked Ashley's best friend on her team, Talia Kalrita. It took all of Ashley's willpower to keep herself from jumping with joy.

"I've been promoted to Gunnery Chief!" she answered excitedly. Her friend was silent for a moment then she let out a tiny scream and threw her arms around Ashley.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" Talia paused to calm herself down. "It looks like the Williams curse is wearing off, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe it is." Ashley said, "Maybe."

"I feel bad interrupting this little party," said Flight Lieutenant Andrew Pollre, "but you need to know that we'll be docking at the Citadel soon. After that last fight we need some repairs, a new CO and XO, and some of us…" he paused, looking at Ashley, "are getting transferred to a different ship. So pack your bags, we'll be staying on the Citadel for a few weeks."

"Yes sir," responded Talia. Then she left to pack up.

"I'm getting transferred?" Ashley shouted indignantly, "Away from Talia? Of course, the one time something something goes right something else goes horribly wrong!"

"It's not that bad, you're going to be under the Command of Rita Shepard," responded the Flight Lieutenant, trying desperately to cheer her up.

Ashley's eyes widened, "_The_ Rita Shepard! From Elysium? Really? Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" She paused, thinking, "I'm still going to be sad… not getting to see Talia, but I guess I could message her… Andrew?"

"Yes, Gunnery Chief Williams?" He responded, making sure to use her _new_ rank, not her old one.

"Keep her safe…" She said slowly, obviously sad. "I don't know what I'd do if she… you know. So be careful."

"Of course, Ash. You too."

**Garrus Vakarian**

"What do you need, Vakarian," asked Commander Bailey of C-Sec. "I haven't got all day, you know."

"The usual, sir," Garrus said, "Lantar Sidonis and his friends bullying another Quarian female." He was disappointed that he had to say that. Garrus used to be one of Lantar's friends, now he stayed with them to make sure that they didn't get into too much trouble.

"You have to know by now that, no matter how many times this happens, you need the Quarian with you to prove that it actually happened." Bailey said, not seeing Tali behind Garrus.

"Of course, sir. She's right here." Garrus replied, gesturing to where Tali was standing behind him - forcing her to come out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. What is your name?" Bailey asked, still emotionless.

"Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya." she replied softly. Garrus wished he could see the expression on her face. She sounded so sad.

"One moment, I'm getting a call." said Bailey, completely ignoring Tali.

_Oh, _Garrus thought, _that must hurt; he doesn't even seem to care._

The Commander was silent for a moment, "Of course the Rayya is cleared to leave port! Tell them to go. Good riddance."

"What!" Tali interrupted, sounding very afraid, "tell them to stop! That's my ship!"

"Your ship?" Bailey asked. When she nodded he started hurriedly barking into his com, "Tell them to stop! Don't question my orders, I told you to stop them!" He was silent for a few moments, listening, then turned to Tali, "I'm afraid they're out of communications range, I'm sorry. You're going to be staying on the Citadel for a while." For once he sounded genuinely sorry. Not that that was going to help Tali at the moment.

"No, no, no, no, no! It can't be! My father will kill me! No!" she stammered.

That's when Garrus cut in, "Come on, _Tali'Zorah._" He emphasised her name, as if to say to Bailey it was his fault for not listening, "I'll help you find a place to stay while you're here." With that, he and Tali turned and left Bailey alone with his thoughts.

**Sorry about Garrus calling Tali just Tali instead of Tali'Zorah… I kind of published that chapter before it was ready. ;D **

**Eljay101**


	5. Chapter 5

**Rita Shepard**

"Okay, everyone," said Rita Shepard, in her best authoritative voice, "We're on the Citadel for two days and two days only. Pick up whatever supplies you need and return to the ship by 1800 tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am" replied the crew of the SSV Cortina.

"Alright, dismissed." The crew spread out to go their separate ways, leaving the Commander alone with Joker. "Are you sure you're OK with being left here on your own? I could help you around the Citadel if you want."

"No thanks Commander." Joker responded, "I don't want those pitying looks the people on the Citadel always give me. It's not that bad."

Rita gave Joker a look, "Uh… I hate to break it to you Joker but, it's pretty bad. You can hardly walk without breaking your leg. Sorry."

"Just go Commander; I wouldn't want to slow you down." He smiled. "I know you, you want to get things done as fast as possible. That's why you only gave them 2 days."

"Hey!"

"Don't deny it. You know it's true."

"Fine… See ya!"

**Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya**

"What's that commotion about?" Garrus wondered aloud. He startled Tali, who was still trying to puzzle out that weird feeling.

"I have no idea," Tali said, hoping Garrus didn't notice how distracted she was. _You're just paranoid, Tali. _She lectured herself; _he's not focused on you 24/7._

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Garrus' voice, "Do you mind if we check it out? You know C-Sec protocol. Ugh." He seemed surprisingly annoyed by what he had to do at C-Sec.

Tali nodded. They made their way through the crowd toward the source of the noise. Someone was trying to get out of the crowd, but everyone was blocking them, shouting excitedly.

Suddenly the person who was trying to get out shouted over the noise, startling everyone into silence, "Quiet! I have biotics, and I'm not afraid to use them. Let me out right now!" The voice was very feminine, yet had a sort of commanding quality.

Tali heard Garrus whispering beside her, "Spirits, its Commander Shepard."

"Who's Commander Shepard?" Tali asked. She'd never heard of her.

"Only the most famous human Commander of our time!" Garrus lectured. "She single-handedly fought off a Batarian raid in the Battle of Elysium!"

_Wow… _Tali thought, _she doesn't look to be over 20, yet she's already accomplished so much… I'll probably never do anything like that. _Tali shook her head; she didn't want to think about it anymore. That was when Shepard broke through the crowd, providing a welcoming distraction for her.

"Hey," Shepard called to Garrus as she approached them, "are you a C-Sec Officer?"

"Yeah," He said questioningly, "How'd you know?"

"I didn't, I have never had a trip to the Citadel when the first Turian I ask that doesn't say yes." She said jokingly, "Would you mind escorting me to my apartment, I don't want to be mobbed again… Unless you're busy." She nodded toward Tali, who was standing behind Garrus – not wanting to talk. Garrus looked between Tali and Shepard, sighing. Not wanting to leave Tali behind, but still wanting to talk to Shepard. He looked so sad…

"No," Tali said, "He's not busy. As long as you don't mind me coming along, Commander." Garrus looked at Tali and mouthed 'Thank you'.

"Please, call me Shepard." Shepard paused, looking annoyed, "I hate when people call me that, it sounds so impersonal."

Garrus nodded, "Understood, Com- Shepard."

"And don't think I'm picky… But stop acting so formal. If possible."

"Sure, Shepard." Garrus replied, obviously ecstatic to be talking to _the _Commander Shepard like she was an old friend. Tali felt a twinge of jealousy.

_Garrus and Shepard hit it off after less than 3 minutes, yet he still calls me Tali'Zorah. Figures…_

The three started the walk to Shepard's apartment, Garrus and the Commander babbling nonstop, and Tali speaking only when spoken to. When they got to the apartment, Tali silently urged Garrus to leave as soon as possible. So, of course it took another 10 minutes for them to say good-bye. Ending with Garrus saying that Shepard could look him up at C-Sec if she needed anything, and Shepard saying 'Thanks. See ya!'

Garrus turned around to face Tali, doing the Turian equivalent of smiling giddily. But that immediately faded when he saw Tali's posture. She looked seriously angry.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Garrus gave her a look, he didn't believe that, "Fine, A trip that should've taken 5 minutes took an hour. So I'm kinda angry, alright!"

"I'm so sorry Tali." His sorry sounded so genuine, she knew she would have to forgive him soon, if not right away, "I honestly didn't realize… it's just, since I first saw that newscast with the footage of her holding off the Batarians by herself, I've sort of looked up to her. Even though she's younger than me." He was obviously embarrassed to admit that. It made Tali feel bad for yelling at him.

"It's nothing. I don't know why I got so worked up. So, I guess I'm sorry too."

"Come on, Tali. Let's get you to that apartment now… no more detours. Okay?"

"Alright." _There's that feeling again… Keelah… will I ever be able to understand it? _She hoped so.


	6. Chapter 6

**Liara T'Soni**

"ETA 1 hour and 15 minutes, Matriarch," said the pilot of Benezia's ship.

"Very good, I'll go tell Liara to get ready," Benezia replied. As she made her way through the ship, she heard a chime from her console, telling her that she had an unread message. She didn't have to notify Liara right away, so she decided to check it.

_**Dear Matriarch Benezia,**_

_**I can assume that - since you are still taking your daughter to Mars – that she lied about why I would not take her. The purpose of this message is to tell you why.**_

_**At her last dig, Liara and her companions found an important Prothean artifact and had a celebration, at that celebration Liara became intoxicated and started saying horrible things about me. I know she remembers because she sent me a letter of apology that very next morning. **_

_**I couldn't forgive her though; you know how quickly rumors spread, especially through young Asari. I sincerely hope you will do something about the horrible thing your daughter has done.**_

_**Sincerely, Matriarch Sephere**_

With every line she read the Asari Matriarch became more and more furious. First: Her daughter had been, in colloquial terms, drunk, (she _was _still a Maiden, so Benezia could not exactly blame her) then she said talked about the other Matriarch behind her back, and finally, her own daughter had _lied_ to her. That hurt Benezia the most. That was not the responsible girl she had raised, that was not Liara. It was still too much to digest without talking to her daughter. The Matriarch decided to have a little "Chat" with Liara.

Liara was startled by her mother entering the room. She had been smiling before she turned to the Matriarch, ready to say 'Thanks again for taking me to my dig' when she saw the look on Benezia's face, her smile immediately faded. The Matriarch was obviously fuming. For a moment Liara wondered what was wrong, but then it dawned on her. The Matriarch had found out about what Liara had said. And by the look Benezia was giving her, she was not getting off with a warning.

"Mother, I swear –'' Liara was about to explain what had happened when the Matriarch cut her off.

"Don't bother, Liara. I know all too well what happened." Benezia paused and Liara took the opportunity to keep talking.

"But Mother-"

"Do not 'But Mother' me, Liara. Just listen for a moment." Liara didn't interrupt her, so she continued. "I am not angry that you were… intoxicated, you _are_ still a Maiden. I _am_ angry that you lied to me. You wouldn't be in as much trouble if you had just told me in the first place. I am _very _disappointed in you. So, I am afraid that you are not allowed to go to a dig for… 4 months."

"Mother, I'm 95! You can't tell me what to do anymore!"

"Yes I can. I may no longer have any authority over you as your mother, but I have authority over you as a Matriarch. You're on my ship, so you have to follow _my_ rules. Understood?" Liara could not argue that, her mother was right. She could not disobey a Matriarch. She was going to miss this dig, whether she liked it or not.

**Garrus Vakarian**

"Don't worry Tali; this will all be paid for by C-Sec." Garrus assured her as they walked into her temporary apartment, "Seeing as we were the ones that caused you to have to stay here, it's only fair. Sorry about that by the way… Oh, yeah, we're also getting another Quarian to deliver some sterilized dextro food for you. I believe he's on his Pilgrimage. I think his name is Kal'Reeger."

"I don't think I know him." Tali murmured, more to herself than to Garrus. "And thank you, for going to all this trouble for me. How did you do this all so quickly, anyway?"

"When we were walking to Shepard's apartment, Bailey was setting it all up. Saying sorry to you I guess." Garrus looked like he was sure it was Bailey's way of saying sorry, as if the C-Sec official done it before. "I'll let you get settled. If you need anything, just come to C-Sec and look me up. If I'm busy then grab Bailey, okay?"

"Alright, thanks Garrus."

"No problem_." _With that he left.

_It was getting kind of tense by the end there; I have no idea why though. It's weird, after just a day I started thinking of her as a little sister. She _is_ only a year older than Solana. I wonder what she thinks of me. Am I a friend or just that stupid C-Sec officer that somehow managed to make her miss her ship when it was leaving the Citadel? I hope more the former. _

_Shepard on the other hand… she treated me like a friend from the start. It makes me feel kind of… weird. Like I have… what is that human saying again… butterflies in my stomach? What could that be?_

**Rita Shepard**

_Ah… finally. I can relax for a minute. Joker was wrong when he said that I wanted to get things done quickly. If I had wanted to rush them, I would've given them 1 day. Not 2… I guess I'll just sit here for an hour or so, then I'll get whatever I need and still have a day to relax. For once._

After an hour, Shepard heard a chime from her Omni-tool telling her she had a new message. It was from Garrus.

_**Hey, Shepard**_

_**Something big is going on at the docks. You might want to see it for yourself… I'll meet you at your apartment to make sure you don't get mobbed again, if you want.**_

_**Garrus**_

She quickly typed out a reply,

_**That would be great. Thank you so much.**_

_**Shepard**_

_What sort of thing could be happening at the docks? It's not like there was anyone famous coming today. Hopefully Garrus gets here soon. I don't want to miss whatever's going on._

Garrus arrived within a minute of Shepard's reply.

"Sorry it took me so long," Garrus panted as he planted his hands on his knees, he had obviously run the entire way to Shepard's apartment. "You should see the amount of people out there."

"You took less than a minute, that's not that long" Shepard replied. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"It's not a problem." Shepard felt like she was on the deck of a ship on a very wavy ocean, her stomach churning, in an almost good way. She wondered what was wrong with her, for a few seconds at least, until she recalled her mother's description of how she felt when she first met Shepard's father.

'_It's like your floating on the sea in a tiny sail boat, but you're not sick… not quite. You're just kind of dizzy, with your stomach flipping like crazy.' That is exactly how I feel right now._ _But it can't be the same. I've only known him for, what, a few hours. It's not the same… it can't be… can it?_

Once Garrus caught his breath, the two started heading down to the docks. But before they could, a young girl, probably Shepard's age, ran up to them.

"Help, please, help me." The girl begged, "They're chasing me, because of my ship. Help!"

Shepard and Garrus looked behind the girl. It was a mob of reporters, running full speed toward them, Shouting things like, 'What happened?' and 'Why are you running?'

"Let's go," Garrus shouted out over the din. The three started running back toward Shepard's apartment.

By the time they got there, poor Garrus looked like he was going to pass out. Between running all the way to Shepard's apartment, to the docks, and back he was exhausted. But he wouldn't sit, not while the girl was panting like she was. The apartment was built and furnished for one, after all.

Shepard was the first to break the silence, "Why were those people chasing you?"

"Our ship was assigned to investigate the planet 276 Bout for evidence of what happened to the ship the SSV Cortina found," Shepard drew in a sharp breath, " the… what was it called, that ship-"

"The SSV Allenby," Shepard whispered.

"How did you know that?" the girl sounded stunned, "The Alliance is keeping it quiet!"

"Kind of impossible to 'keep it quiet' from the daughter of the ship's Commander." The girl's eyes widened to saucers, "Commander Rita Shepard, CO of the SSV Cortina. Pleased to meet you, miss…"

"Lieutenant Jennifer Ashden, of the SSV Ativan." She paused to salute the Commander, "The pleasure is all mine!"

The Commander nodded, "And this is Garrus Vakarian, C-Sec. Now that the introductions are done, why don't you tell us what happened, from the beginning."


	7. Chapter 7

**Ashley Williams**

Ashley pushed her way through the seemingly endless crowds towards the address Andrew had given her, Commander Shepard's apartment. She had been told that she had to meet with the Commander for an 'inspection' so that Shepard could see if Ashley would fit in with her crew. The Gunnery Chief had already said good bye to Talia (a teary one at that) and the ship was already leaving, off to check out some communication problems over Planet 276 Bout.

Shepard's door was as nondescript as any of the others in the building, which made sense, because according to her psych profile she hated being famous because of the crowds and publicity.

Ashley hesitated before knocking. What if the Commander didn't like her, and Ashley was sent away. It _is_ the great Commander Shepard, after all. _No, _she thought, _the Commander specifically picked me, this meeting is just a formality; that's what Andrew said. _

She knocked, and was met with silence. It went on for one minute, then two. Then, just as Ashley was about to knock again the door swung open to reveal a very disorganized Commander.

"What do you wa- Oh… you must be the new crew member, Ashley. Sorry, I completely forgot you were coming. One sec… I'll be right back." The Commander turned and let the door drift half closed behind her.

_Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting…Commander Shepard, so disorganized. Well, I guess things aren't always what they seem…_

Ashley looked into the room and saw Shepard talking to a male Turian and a human girl who were sitting on the end of her bed. They looked like they were busy.

"I can come back later, if you like," Ashley called. She hoped she hadn't interrupted something important. It had to be if a Turian was there, they still harboured a cold distrust with humans over the First Contact War. For Ashley the feeling was mutual.

"No, it's fine," the Commander called back. "You went to all the trouble to get here, it would be rude of me to ask you to leave, come on in."

The apartment was small and sparsely furnished. The architecture was clearly Asari, all curves and absolutely no hard lines. It seemed like the Commander didn't stay there a lot. There were almost no personal items, nothing to show that this apartment belonged to _the_ great Commander Shepard.

"So, Ashley, umm… this is Garrus Vakarian, from C-Sec, and Lieutenant Ashden of the SSV Ativan." Ashley couldn't help but wonder what they were doing here, and, before she could stop herself, the words were out.

"Ummm… Commander, I don't mean to be rude, but what are they doing here?" Ashley was mortified; did she really just blurt that out? "Sorry, my curiosity got the better of me." _Did I just ruin my chance to impress the Commander? Could I have been_ that _stupid?_

But, instead of scolding her, the Commander laughed, not a harsh laugh, but a genuine, happy laugh.

"Finally, they've stopped sending all those suck-ups and decided to send someone who can actually think for herself!" The Commander stopped to wipe a couple tears from her eyes. "Welcome aboard, Gunnery Chief. I'll be honoured to have you on my ship!"

"T-Thank you Commander, the honour is mine."

"Now, have a seat. You might as well hear this, as long as the LT doesn't mind starting from the beginning. I was thinking of looking into this anyway."

**Garrus Vakarian**

_This story of what happened that the girl is telling was very interesting. She says that her ship was attacked while doing a routine patrol over Planet 276 Bout, but she also says that the ship had no indication of being any of the council race's ships. No symbols, no nothing!_

"Do you have _any_ ideas of who it might be?" Garrus asked.

"None whatsoever, they just appeared! They didn't even show up on the long range scanners beforehand!" The girl looked like she was about to cry, "My ships CO _and _XO were both killed in the first explosion, and _I_ was left as acting Commander. I immediately ordered that we retreat to the Citadel, but our ship had catastrophic damage! We barely made it here!"

The Commander, who had been completely silent until then, spoke up, "We're definitely checking this out now! I'm going to tell the Alliance right away." She opened up her Omni-tool, "I'm also going to tell my crew that we're leaving a bit early, like, in an hour. That means you too Ashley. And Lieutenant, I'm going to assume that you don't want to come, because of your last encounter. But I'm leaving the choice to you."

"Umm, Shepard," said Garrus, sounding hesitant, "I understand that this is your battle but it would be an honour if you allowed me to come."

"I don't mean to be rude but… why would you want to come?" Shepard looked thoroughly confused.

"The Turians have lost men to this mysterious attacker too, and, you never know, you might need the best sniper on the Citadel watching your six." Garrus winked.

The Commander rolled her eyes, "Sure come if you want, but wouldn't C-Sec be angry if you just left?"

"Yeah, but who cares what they think?"

**Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya**

Tali was lying on her back on the couch in her living room staring at the ceiling when a knock interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Room service!" called a voice that was distinctly a Quarian male. Tali hopped up, thinking 'this must be Kal'Reegar'.

"Coming!" Frankly, Tali was really excited to meet him. Her father had not really let her be around any male Quarians that were her age on her ship, let alone from other ships. Mostly she was hoping she wouldn't make a fool of herself. She opened the door to find a Quarian in a red, black, and white exo-suit. He was average height, with broad shoulders and long arms and legs. He was, by Quarian standards, _very_ handsome.

"Hey, I'm Kal'Reegar," he said, extending his hand. "Bailey asked me to deliver food here."

"H-hi, I'm Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya." When she took his hand she felt her insides scrunch up again. _Keelah, what's happening to me? _


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it took so long! I was being overloaded with tests and my friend who's editing this for me had exams! As always, criticism is welcomed!**

**~Eljay101**

**Liara T'Soni**

Liara sat on her bed on her mother's ship, which was on its way to the Citadel. Apparently Matriarch Benezia had to 'pick up some things' before the ship headed back to Thessia. Liara already knew she wouldn't be allowed out of her mother's sight for the whole two months that the Matriarch had 'grounded' her for. So the poor Asari girl probably wouldn't be allowed to visit her friends on the Citadel. Unless… No, she had already lied her mother once, never again! But… it would only be a moment, besides she had heard that Commander Shepard was on the Citadel. Surely her mother would make an exception, just this once.

So out she went. Luckily Liara was a good girl; she had never disobeyed her mother, so the Matriarch hadn't bothered to put her into complete lockdown. She was allowed to go anywhere _on _the ship, just not off it. Which was of course what Liara was going to do. She silently prayed to the Goddesses that her mother wouldn't catch her. Just when Liara was about to go out the airlock, it opened revealing not her mother, but two C-Sec officers.

"Liara T'Soni?" the Turian on the left asked.

"W-what can I do for you officers?" she stammered, scared of what it might mean if C-Sec officers were looking for _her _specifically.

_What do they want with me? Did I do something wrong? Is mother hurt? How bad?_

"Matriarch Benezia has requested your assistance in the wards," the officer said coldly, as if she should know why they wanted her.

"Why wo-… yes, of course. One moment, please." Liara turned to grab her Omni-tool, but the Turian stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Immediately"

"Umm… Okay?" Liara followed them off of the ship.

It took the trio about fifteen minutes to reach the Zakara ward, by which time crowds were already forming around the Matriarch and her two companions. The strange thing was they were a Turian and a _Human_! Those two species even being civil to each other was a rare occurrence at best, but these two were chatting like old friends. That, combined with the fact that the Human was _the Commander Shepard_, was enough to draw the attention of the majority of the visitors to the ward.

"Ah, Liara, I'm glad they found you before I left the ship. We have something important to discuss."

"What is it-? Wait? Before I left the ship? Why would you think I was going to leave the ship?" Liara thanked the Goddess she was a good liar, because her mother had a very keen eye; she could spot a bad lie from a mile away.

"Don't bother, Liara. I can tell when you are upset, and when you're upset you tend to act irrationally. But I am willing to overlook that for now, on one condition."

"What condition?" Liara asked suspiciously. Her mother had a way of manipulating people to do what she wanted them to, without them even knowing it. It's what made the Matriarch such a good leader.

"That you go with Commander Shepard, being with someone of such good character will hopefully be a good influence. Besides, she will need someone with your expertise with biotics." Liara felt like she could hop up and down with excitement, she would get to go on a mission with _the _Commander Shepard. It was her dream come true! But she needed to be mature; it would be embarrassing if the Commander wouldn't let her come just because she thought Liara was too_ childish._

"I would be happy to oblige, if the Commander will have me." Liara turned to the Commander, seeking permission.

"We already talked about it." The Commander smiled at her, "I think you will be a wonderful addition to the crew. Welcome aboard!" This time Liara did jump up and down, she couldn't help it. The Commander laughed.

**Garrus Vakarian**

After meeting the Matriarch and telling her daughter where the Cortina was docked, Garrus and Shepard had planned on picking up his belongings from his apartment, then heading to the ship. But about half way to the apartment Shepard's Omni-tool chimed, telling her she had a message. After reading it, she held it out for him to see, it was from Joker. It read:

_**Shep,**_

_**Engineer Adams decided that he doesn't approve of you changing the schedule, so he left and took anyone else who didn't agree with him, which happened to be about half of the crew! Now we're missing an engineer and pretty much everyone else except the ground team! You know as well as I do that it's too dangerous to leave without one! So unless you find another one in the next few hours, the mission's scrubbed!**_

_**-Joker**___

"What!" Garrus exclaimed, "He just quit!?"

"Unless Joker is pulling my leg then yeah, he quit." Shepard said quietly, she was obviously very disappointed. "But, Garrus, if we don't do this, we'll be disappointing everyone… Liara, Ashley, my mom, Lt. Ashden … everyone. I can't do that." She looked at the ground.

"Shepard, now that I think about it, I might know someone that could be willing to help. Don't get your hopes up, but she might-"

"Who is it?" her eyes lit up.

"She's a Quarian named Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya. She's the one that was with me when I escorted you to your apartment the first time."

"I remember, I liked her, but isn't she a bit young?"

"If I'm remembering my Quarian culture, she would be going on her Pilgrimage in a year or two."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

**Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya**

Tali and Kal'Reegar were sitting on the couch in Tali's apartment, chatting happily. Well, _Kal _was chatting happily, Tali was devoting almost all of her focus to trying to figure out what that feeling was. The young male sometimes had to touch Tali's shoulder to shake her from her reverie, which only made the feeling stronger.

"So I said-" started Kal, getting more animated with every syllable. But, sadly for Tali, he never got to finish his story, because the doorbell decided at that very moment to ring.

Tali gave him a look of sympathy then called, "Coming!" When she opened the door it was none other than Commander Shepard and Garrus Vakarian. "Oh, hi Garrus, Commander. Need something?"

The Commander rolled her eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you, just call me Shepard." Shepard glanced over Tali's shoulder and saw Kal, "Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"No, of course not, we're just chatting. What do you need?"

"Umm…" Shepard hesitated, not sure of how to ask this of the Quarian. "We were kind of wondering if… you would like to join us on the Cortina, as an engineer." She mistook Tali's body language as offence. "If you don't want to I completely understand." Shepard looked down, rather flustered.

"Join you on the Cortina!? Shepard, that would be a dream come true! I would be honoured! Thank you!" Tali was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Suddenly she heard Kal get up from the couch behind her, "_You,_ going with Shepard, without permission from the fleet, _alone?_ You've got to be kidding me! I'm not letting that happen!'

"Who do you think you are!? Don't you dare try to tell me what to do! You can't stop me!" Tali was furious now, Kal was trying to ruin her fun!

"Who said anything about stopping you?" he asked, and Tali was sure that, if she could see his face he would have been smiling mischievously, "If the Commander will let me, I'm coming with." He looked to the Commander for approval, she smiled.

"Two Quarians, a Turian, an Asari, what's next? A Krogan? Welcome aboard!"

She heard Garrus gag behind her, "If you bring a Krogan, then I'm _so_ not coming with you!"

"Hmm…" she murmured jokingly, "If I had known it would be that easy to get rid of you… any of you know a Krogan that might be able to help?"

"NO!" shouted the rest of them in unison.


	9. Chapter 9

**Rita Shepard**

After a few minutes of chatting, Garrus and the Commander decided to take their leave, telling Kal and Tali the dock number and when to be there, and thanking them for coming, once again. Once outside Garrus sighed, his form sagging from exhaustion.

"I'm glad that's over." He turned to Shepard, "Now can we just go get my things and head to the ship? No more detours?"

"Of course. Are you okay, you seem tired?" He nodded, and Shepard put her hands on her hips. "Then let's get going."

From there it took about 15 minutes to get to Garrus' apartment, but he paused before opening the door. "Promise you won't judge me on this. I haven't had a chance to clean in weeks."

"Embarrassed?" Shepard taunted, "It can't be _that _bad."

"It is _that _bad. You know what, maybe you should just wait out here." Garrus set to unlocking the door, turning his back to Shepard.

"No way! Now that you've said it I have to see!" Sadly for Garrus the lock clicked open at that moment, preventing him from protesting further, as the Commander pushed past him with surprising strength.

The Commander blinked a couple times disbelievingly, frozen in the doorway. Then she barked out a laugh, "You call _this _messy?"She gestured around the room, "This is practically _spotless_!"

The only things out of place in the room were a few articles of clothing strewn around, the unmade bed, and a few sniper mods lying on the table. Garrus pushed past her into the room, and immediately set to packing anything he needed into a small bag. Shepard stood in the doorway, now that the initial teasing was over she felt rather awkward. Luckily, Garrus moved quickly, and they were on their way to the ship in less than 2 minutes.

The docking bay where the Cortina was situated was crowded… _again._ This time, though, Shepard didn't know why. It wasn't like the crowd was going after her, they didn't even notice her at first, but the crowd was facing the ship. Which she couldn't even see, she silently cursed herself for being so short.

She and Garrus started to push their way through the crowd, but as soon as the people noticed her, they parted, giving her a clear path to her ship. Or at least she had _thought_ it was her ship, but it clearly wasn't the Cortina. This ship had smooth, sleek lines, not at all clunky like the Cortina. And painted in crisp white lines down the side, was the name. _Normandy SR1_.

_**Don't worry, it's not over yet. Please don't abandon me!**_

_**Eljay101**_


End file.
